Sixers' Embiid docked $25K for ripping referees

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of the officiating, which included the use of inappropriate language, the league announced Wednesday.

Embiid made his comments Tuesday following the 76ers’ 112-109 loss to the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center.

“The referees f—ing suck,” he said from the podium. Then he turned, walked off the stage, flung open the curtain next to it and walked out.

Embiid was probably responding to a sequence late in the game, when he got the ball in the post with Philadelphia trailing by two with less than 40 seconds remaining. He tried to back Boston’s Al Horford down. But when Embiid went up for a shot, he was clearly hit across the arms by Horford and lost the ball — but no foul was called.

After the Sixers once again found themselves on the losing end of a game against the Celtics, All-Star center Joel Embiid didn’t hold back in his assessment of the officiating Tuesday night: “The referees f—ing suck.”

Embiid then took his time getting back to the other end of the court, where Marcus Smart got an uncontested dunk at the rim — in part because Embiid, who had five fouls, didn’t make an attempt to stop him from scoring.

The Sixers bench collectively reacted to the lack of a call at the other end after the ensuing timeout, but by then, the damage was done.